ConduWire
ConduWire is a sheathed copper wire conductor that conducts electricity. That’s right. It’s sheathed, so it protects the encased copper wire from adjacent electrolytic discharges, contaminated grounds and hostile environments, AND it also serves as a conductor. That’s protection without removing the wire as a contributing conductor, which helps to reduce the earthing system resistance.
The ConduWire is a versatile conductor. Where you might use bare wire, or in some cases earth rods, plates or lattice mats you can use ConduWire, only now you don’t need to worry about longevity. You don’t need any special tooling to use it; if you have the tools normally required for sheathed cable then you’ll be able to use ConduWire.
Engineers familiar with the ease of working with bare wire conductors for electrical earthing systems are also likely to be aware of the challenges historically faced by this method. Bare wire systems are likely to “bird-cage” over time as the individual strands begin to separate; this process increases the electrical resistance and can result in unforeseen problems.
Traditional flat-tape or bar copper conductors, lattice mats, plates and earth rods all present installation challenges but overcome the problems associated with “bird-caged” bare wire.
The ConduWire will not “bird-cage” instead it will protect the bare copper wire within, and it will enhance the overall performance as a conductor by increasing its contact surface area.
What does your buried wire look like? No corrosion with ConduWire...
Earthing systems are installed to keep people and assets safe. Nothing complicated to understand there.
The most commonly installed conductors to provide that safety are bare metallic products like earth rods, bare wire, flat tapes, plates, or lattice mats. These are then buried in the ground to provide safety. Again nice and easy to understand.
But how long do they last? Well that’s more complicated.
Depending on the hostility of the ground mass, or adjacent discharging voltages, some conductors can deteriorate rapidly, with some earth rods installed lasting less than 3 months in aggressive environments.
No need to worry about that with ConduWire though. Use it like bare wire and be protected from hostile environments.
Nice and easy.
Some suggested applications, and by no means an exhaustive list because you can use it for pretty much anything:
- TT earths
- Cable joint/splice earths
- Horizontal conductors
- Trench applications
- Supplementary conductors to Point of Connection
ConduWire can be manufactured to a range of sizes (some sizes subject to minimum order quantity) and is most popular in 70mm² copper wire with the ConduWire sheath.